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Below is a Brief Descripton of each Breed in my Kennel
The Australian Shepherd Although the name suggests that this is an Australian breed the Australian Shepherd as we know it today is an American based breed. The Australian Shepherd has been developed primarily as a Ranch dog in America, not only to work livestock but to be a companion and guard dog to its owners. The Australian Shepherd is a highly intelligent working dog with strong herding instincts. He is an exceptional companion, he is versatile and easily trained, and performs all his tasks with enthusiasm., he should never be shy or aggressive. The
Australian shepherd is an active dog and needs regular exercise, and are exceptionally
good at Obedience, Agility etc also when raised in an environment with children
they quickly become good playmates and love to play ball, Frisbee, If you are looking for a dog with an intense desire to please who is loyal to you and your family then an Aussie is for you. But remember any dog is only as good as the environment you bring him up in, it is important as with any dog to socialise and train your Aussie. There
are four main colours of the Australian Shepherd these are Black, Red, Blue Merle
and Red Merle ALL can be with Size :- Dogs 51-58 cm's ( 20-23 inches) Bitches 46-53 cm's (18-21 inches) We do have incidents of Hereditary Cataracts in this breed it is therefore advisable when looking at puppies to ask the breeder if the Father and Mother of the litter both have current Eye Clear Certificates, these eye checks should be done yearly, also at the same time check if the parents have also been hip scored. If the breeder is a reputable one then they will not object to you asking for copies of these certificates , and will be willing give you copies of these certificates. Australian Shepherd breed guide written by : Jayne Holligan - Applethorn
The Belgian Shepherd The Belgian Shepherd Dog is the only breed in the world that comes in 4 varieties: the long - haired fawn, red or grey 'Tervueren', the long-haired black 'Groenendael', the short-coated red, fawn or grey 'Malinois' and the rarer rough-coated reddish fawn 'Laekenois'. Originating as herding/watch dogs from Belgium, they are named after the areas in Belgium from which they came: Malines, Tervuren, Groenendael and Laeken. They are a medium sized dog (dogs 24" - 26", bitches 22" - 24"), square in outline, with arched neck, accentuated withers, graceful curved underline and legs long but in proportion. They are completely balanced without exaggerations. They have a long, finely chiseled head, with small to medium high set triangular ears, and dark, almondish shaped eyes, obliquely set so that they look straight forwards and at you. Although they are often confused with the 'long-haired GSD' by the general public, they are a much more elegant breed in all respects, squarer in profile, lighter in bone and more refined in head, with a light, brisk movement. As
pets they are devoted companions and do not make ideal kennel dogs becoming bored
and destructive. They need plenty of exercise and mental stimulation and to this
end they excel at agility and obedience. They will protect their The long-haired varieties need a fair amount of grooming and shed their abundant undercoat twice a year in the case of bitches and in males,generally once a year. They are very active dogs and should not be considered as pets if they are to be left alone all day. At around 9 months of age they often enter a 'juvenile delinquent' stage and all your training will appear as though its gone 'out of the window'! Just go back to the beginning with basic training and by 18 months your little angel will reappear! They
have a great sense of humour and learn very quickly - not many people have just
'one' Belgian which speaks Anyone looking for a puppy should make sure that both parents are hip-scored and eyes are tested. Hip status in the breed is generally excellent but that's not to say that there haven't been the odd high scores and some Tervuerens and Groenendaels have been diagnosed with juvenile cataracts. Epilepsey has occured (and still does occur) in the breed but breeders have worked hard to reduce the incidence to a minimum. A
good breeder will ask you a zillion questions before allowing you to own one of
their pups - but don't be afraid to ask as many questions of the breeder. They
should be able to produce the paperwork to prove health checks have been carried
out. The KC papers may not have been returned from the KC as this can take some
time, but do get it in writing that the pup will have KC papers. Some breeders
endorse their pups so that they can't be bred from. This is either to ensure that
health checks are carried out before the dog/bitch is bred from or if the pup
was sold purely as a pet, then to ensure it can never be bred from. Get everything
in writing at the time of purchase - it will save confusion and disappointments
later on. Prices may vary, but this is not an indication of quality. If nothing
else, at least see the mother of the pups (the sire may live some distance away)
and make sure that the dam is friendly, not nervous or aggressive. Bear in mind
though Belgian Shepherd Dog breed guide written by : Marcelle King The Finnish Lapphund The Finnish Laphund is descended from the spitz type reindeer herding and watchdogs, that accompanied the Sami people of Lapland, for centuries. General appearance is that of a sturdy, well boned, long coated dog of slightly under medium size. Though the Lapphund fits the general description of a spitz breed, it should be noted by show exhibitors and judges that the square proportions and upright carriage of other spitz, such as the Samoyed, is incorrect for the Lapphund. The body length should be slightly greater than height at withers and tail carriage, though curved over the back or side in movement, may hang low in stance. The FCI standard also allows for tipped ear carriage. A
feature of this breed, is the wide variety of coat colour shades and patterns
that occur, most commonly black, brown, red, cream, black and tan, brown and tan,
sable and wolf sable, all with or without white markings. Less common colours
are white, brindle and blue and possibly others, in fact the only major colour
gene that doesn’t occur in the breed, seems to be merle. All these colours
are allowed by the standard, provided the main colour dominates and markings do
not In
Finland, the breed is now popular as a companion, show and working dog. Outside
it’s homeland the breed is not plentiful and here in the UK, a small band
of dedicated owners and breeders, work to promote this delightful and The Finnish Lapphund is truly a multi-purpose dog. He is active, willing and quick to learn and competes successfully in obedience and agility. Here in the UK we have one enthusiastic owner competing in working trials with her Lapphund. They are also suitable for competent children to train (under supervision). We have one young lady owner who qualified with her young Lapphund, for the Kennel Club Good Citizen Bronze Award, at the age of 9 years. The Lapphund also adapts well to less active family life and is suited to town or country living provided he is properly trained and exercised. He is not though, the breed for couch potato families and can be noisy if left untrained and ignored. The
coat, though profuse, requires surprisingly little attention. No trimming is required
and a thorough brushing once a week is all that is necessary to keep it in order.
Extra grooming will be required during moulting, which is normally As in most breeds, hereditary diseases do occur and these are mainly - Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Cataracts and Hip Dysplasia. All breeding stock should be eye tested and hip scored and prospective owners are strongly advised to ask to see evidence of this before purchasing a puppy. The Lapphund is generally a long lived healthy dog, with a calm, friendly temperament, suitable as a companion or hobby dog. Finnish Lapphund breed guide written by : Julie Vaughan
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